At least some known systems are used to form stacked materials into composite laminate components. The stacked materials include a plurality of layers or plies of composite material that provide the composite laminate component with improved engineering properties. For example, the stacked materials include layers of any of the following materials: prepregs, dry fabrics, carbon fabrics, tackified fabrics, release films, backing paper, vacuum films, liners, membranes, carbon fiber, glass, polymeric fibers such as polyimides and polyethylenes, ceramic matrix composites, silicon carbide, and alumina. In at least some systems, the stacked material is positioned adjacent to a tool and forced against the tool to shape the stacked material into the component shape. In some systems, a membrane is used to facilitate shaping the stacked material. The membrane is extended over the stacked material and/or tool and positioned in a controlled manner to cause the tool to shape the stacked material.
In at least some known systems, the tool has complex geometries, such as overhangs, undercuts, concave surfaces, and convex surfaces. However, the membrane bridges over these complex geometries and does not cause the stacked material to be adequately compacted. As a result, the stacked material is not properly formed adjacent to these complex geometries. Therefore, additional processing, such as debulking, is required to properly form the stacked material into the desired component.